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07/02/2008: X-E’s ‘08 Summer Megaparty: Blame Anonymous.

“My blog is going to give away 1000 dollars every day of summer. Make sure you refresh and visit multiple times. It may not be every day BECAUSE I’M POLITE AND DON’T PROMISE THINGS I CAN’T DELIVER.” – Posted By Anonymous.

Oh, please. I haven’t updated X-E’s main page since the Superbowl. Manipulating readers into refreshing for ad impressions has clearly been a long-term goal of mine. Besides, I’m not even late. “Once a day,” I said. I’m totally on deadline.

“Anonymous” must be punished, and my chosen method in punishing Anonymous unfortunately means that you’re going to be punished right along with him. I had a beautiful, long and interesting entry planned, but now I am SCRATCHING it, and instead, I am going to review the KAHEGA ACTION FIGURE. From CONGO.


You like that, Anonymous? Are you pleased with the fruits of your uncaring and unsigned comment? You’ve ruined it for everybody. I had GOLD planned for today…and now gold has been replaced with KAHEGA. And by the way, Anonymous: I’ve got a Karen Ross action figure just waiting for your next fuck-up.

Hindsight dictates that a Congo action figure series was a terrible idea, but I don’t blame Kenner for giving it a shot in 1995. It’s assured that they had to work out the licensing details and produce the toys long before they knew how well the movie would be received. This isn’t to say that Congo was a total flop, because it wasn’t. It just wasn’t a very important movie, with its scope of diehard fans limited to stoners who found humor in the concept of a gorilla talking through the magic of a hotwired Nintendo Power Glove.

Truth be told, it’s one of my favorite films ever, and I mean that with 100% sincerity. Congo was unfairly compared to Jurassic Park due to the Crichton connection, but when most reviewers were busy looking for the Spielberg-level storytelling wizardry and never-before-seen special effects, a small-but-elite force of moviegoers realized that any flick that featured Tim Curry getting yelled at for eating sesame cake before meeting his demise at the hands of an undiscovered camp of mutant gorillas was worth twenty times more than a T-Rex launching goat carrion.

I loved Jurassic Park, but it had nothing on Congo. Congo is the ultimate movie. From egotistical “Amy Monkey” christening herself as “pretty,” to the scene where the heroes use flare guns to displace heat seeking missiles, there is not one second in Congo that doesn’t stand toe-to-toe with any other second in any other movie.


Anyway, the toys tanked. They hardcore tanked. Congo was an action movie, but even I can’t argue that its characters weren’t exactly on-par with Indiana Jones. Kenner tried everything they could to make it work, but it was impossible. Remember Peter? The kinda dorky lead guy from the movie, whose only vested interest in the adventure was returning his talking gorilla to her safe homeland? Well, to make him translate better as an action figure, they fitted Peter with a shoulder-mounted missile launcher. But deep down, it’s still just the guy from Congo who blurred the boundaries of bestiality while picking leeches out of his crotch.

Still, at least Peter is a character people who’ve seen Congo would probably recognize. I’m not sure the same can be said for Kahega. If you don’t recall Kahega’s role in the movie, that’s your problem. I’d tell you, but I can’t. Because of Anonymous.


Kahega is easily one of the worst action figures in history. Whatever chance you stood to be reminded of the film version of Kahega is eradicated by the fact that the figure looks absolutely nothing the fuck like him. Indeed, the only thing Anonymous and I have in common is that we both look more like Kahega than his action figure does.

One of the worst-proportioned toys of the modern era, Kahega’s six-pack of abs is cut into a three-pack by the odd placement of his belt, which christens a journey down to a pair of legs that could not possibly belong to the torso that isn’t more than a half a centimeter above them. And I was barely past digesting that when I noticed that the sum mass of Kahega’s head is smaller than either of his feet.


Strangely, there’s a gaping hole on Kahega’s back which allows him to handsfree-carry the smaller of his two gigantic guns. Read that again, in case you missed the bit where Kahega mounts weapons inside a hole on his back. You really gotta feel for poor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. He had to be so excited when he heard that he was going to be immortalized as an action figure, and then he gets this. You also gotta feel for poor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje because text-to-speech programs really don’t know how to pronounce his name.

By the way…I have the full set of Congo action figures. Everyone from “Monroe” to “Blastface the Grey Gorilla,” who according to his package comes with “mutant fury.” “Mutant fury” was Kenner’s code-speak for “this figure does not come with anything.” I guess by the time they finished fitting the seventy-seventh action figure with the same shoulder-mounted missile launcher, they knew they were pushing it. My point? If Anonymous messes with me again, I’m breaking out the Amy action figure. The AMY action figure. Think before you leap, Anonymous. Adebisi lives.


Posted by Matt. E-mail me!

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Discussion Thread: 235 comments

ARGHGHGHGHGHG I want my stimulus check NOW! Friggin husbands social ends with a very high number so we won’t get out stimulus till next Friday at the earliest.

I gotta watch Congo now. It always seemed interesting to me.

That would make for a neat SNT…all of us watching COngo together.

Ghosted by mandy_Reeves @ 07/03/2008 7:08 AM EDT


Don’t even get me started as to why we don’t have mainstream models of water fueled cars yet. Ok you got me started. It would destroy the economy. Ok I’m done with that subject because it’s too political for here.

I watched Congo years ago when my Grandparents had an old Satellite they got rid of when I was 18 years old which about every 6 months had a free movies channel weekend so from midnight friday night until midnight sunday night/monday morning there would be free hbo/showtime/and the other deluxe movie channels. It was a great way to catch up on fairly current movies because we never went out to the movie theater and rarely rented movies.

I remember my younger cousin saying over and over “I know the ending I have seen this movie before” and us saying SHUT THE HELL UP!! Because we didn’t want him spoiling it for us. I think when there was about 20 minutes left he spilled his beans and left the room shortly after and went to bed. I think he didn’t like the movie and out of anger he spoiled it for us. His family grew up with cable and the deluxe channels so he took getting HBO for granted.

I don’t remember anything about the movie except Amy going blah blah blah jungle chasing in jungle apes blah blah recovering stratagizing blah blah end that is all I remember lol!! I don’t even remember Tim Curry! Or a power glove? I have the Congo novel because I was a Crichton fan at the time but I never read the book. I read Sphere and Jurassic park and that was it.

Another random little tidbit I have an online friend that spent 6 weeks volunteering in San Diego when she was in college to do sign language to the famous gorilla Coco. She quit after 6 months even with a generous salary offer because she didn’t like how the gorilla’s were treated. She said Coco and her brother stunk really bad because they hated water and didn’t have good grooming habits.

Back to the future pizza hut sunglasses ad You have to crank up the volume but it’s worth it. Also right afterwards you get the Pillsbury dough boy playing the harmonica and that is always good.

Ghosted by Goob @ 07/03/2008 7:34 AM EDT


I need to get the Congo DVD from Amazon. They’re not sold down here in Brazil anymore. Sadly, I never had the chance to subtitle it. :( But I did worked on the 70’s King Kong. :P

Ghosted by Roddy @ 07/03/2008 7:34 AM EDT


Nicely handled Matt, I vote on a weekly CONGO Toy Post! My wife and I saw it in the theatre when we first started dating.

Just think, had they made CONGO in the 80s maybe they would have rigged up a Speak N Spell to assist in Gorilla Translation!

Ghosted by Gregor @ 07/03/2008 8:01 AM EDT


Oddly enough, I wouldn’t mind seeing those other action figures at all.

Ghosted by Wenthral @ 07/03/2008 8:06 AM EDT


A really intelligent gorilla speakin through a speak n spell ? I LIKE it !

Ghosted by ULTRAMAN @ 07/03/2008 8:07 AM EDT


I used to have a Speak N’ Spell. It was awesome! I always carried that damn thing around with me! It’s probably still in my mom’s house somewhere. I may have to look for it.

Ghosted by DC @ 07/03/2008 8:18 AM EDT


I think I still have a Speak N Spell and maybe even and Alphie the robot…I need to go through my parent’s attic because I’m sure there’s a lot of hidden treasures up there. I know there’s Jem (who’s truly outrageous, truly truly she is) and She-Ra stuff lurking around up there

Ghosted by gingela5 @ 07/03/2008 8:38 AM EDT


sitting in a Microsoft Access class right now, ignoring the old fart instructor, I just wanna get to the part of HOW to create the tables and shit, and all he is doing is yammering about how Access is better than Excel and why, and just rambling….SON OF A BEE STING! this guy is boring

Ghosted by mandy_Reeves @ 07/03/2008 9:02 AM EDT


I must say, the guy who directed Congo sure has had an interesting career…

Ghosted by Shuanfu @ 07/03/2008 9:10 AM EDT


I love the power glove. It’s so bad.

Ghosted by Lucas @ 07/03/2008 9:11 AM EDT


I…….Want…..to…….STAB MY EYES OUT WITH a rustyy screw driver

Ghosted by mandy_Reeves @ 07/03/2008 9:14 AM EDT


*Hands Mandy a rusty screw* Don’t stab your eyes out…kill the instructor. ;)

Ghosted by DC @ 07/03/2008 9:30 AM EDT


*I mean rusty screwDriver duh.

Ghosted by DC @ 07/03/2008 9:32 AM EDT


Kahega gets killed off in the movie, but he lives in the book. Maybe if The Man had let poor Kehega live in the film, the additional footage would have helped the folks at Kenner make a more accurate looking figure…

Ghosted by Saint @ 07/03/2008 9:35 AM EDT


The only thing I know about 24 is the terrorist who blew up America(thats what happened on the show isn’t it?) is from around here.

Shaun Majumbder, he’s actually a pretty funny stand up comedian.
FUN FACT: he’s really a terrorist.

Ghosted by JoshC @ 07/03/2008 9:46 AM EDT


I feel your pain mandy_Reeves. I have had instructors like the one you speak of. I also hated my MS Access class.

Little did I know, I would end up getting a job which entails working with Access on a daily basis. Now that deserves a rusty screwdriver to the eyes.

Ghosted by Anonymous @ 07/03/2008 9:47 AM EDT


^^^
That’s me above. I just forgot to type my name! Please do not confuse me with evil Anon T_T

Ghosted by MulanLang @ 07/03/2008 9:49 AM EDT


Despite being a big commercial, The Wizard is a STAPLE of our youth. At a time when Nintendo ruled our lives, this movie (and is IS a pretty good movie – what kid doesn’t want to run away from home and play Nintendo all the way to California for cash?) was our first glimpse of the wonderful, the awesome, SUPER MARIO BROS. 3!!! I about shit my pants when I first watched it. My brother and I howled and jumped and ran closer to the screen. We re-wound and watched those scenes over and over. Good times. Now, with the Internet…we don’t have moments like that anymore. Everything is known to us instantly.

Ghosted by Muppet Baby @ 07/03/2008 9:51 AM EDT


Don’t even get me started as to why we don’t have mainstream models of water fueled cars yet. Ok you got me started. It would destroy the economy. Ok I’m done with that subject because it’s too political for here.

You shouldn’t tempt it then. Because now I’m all curious about destroying the economy with my secret water powered engine that I haven’t patented yet.

Ghosted by doho in the summer @ 07/03/2008 10:00 AM EDT


I really liked The Wizard too, and Jenny Lewis from Rilo Kiley/My future girlfriend was in it.
Plus the whole power glove thing, it can really do no wrong.

Ghosted by JoshC @ 07/03/2008 10:00 AM EDT


I hope if dogs ever take over the world, and they chose a king, they don’t just go by size, because I bet there are some Chihuahuas with some
good ideas.

Ghosted by DC @ 07/03/2008 10:01 AM EDT


Yeah I hear you DC, I’ve seen a few chihuahuas who seem like they know the score.

Not like those shady poodles, I mean just who are they trying to impress anyway??

Ghosted by JoshC @ 07/03/2008 10:04 AM EDT


So much to respond to, first off, the Solar Shades commercial Goob posted was awesome and made me want to go to future pizza hut with all of my future friends after future graduating with our neon mortar boards.

Second, someone above said Book It made them fat. I remember going to the library at school and picking out the smallest books I could get away with so I could get pizza faster. That, plus I had the choice to buy a Nintendo or Nike Pumps and I chose Nintendo, that made me fat. If I picked the Pumps I’d be awesome at basketball, now, I’m just really good at Ducktales for the NES.

The Wizard also taught me where the warp whistle was, who cares if it was a Nintendo commercial. When I was 8 years old, that’s exactly what I wanted to see. I remember my jaw dropping when they unveiled SMB3, whoever said it was out in Japan for a year blows me away, what kid in the early 90’s knew anything that was going on outside of his school much less their town.

Finally, good job Matt Thanks for the Megaparty.

“Amy want solar shades, Amy want, Amy, Amy, Amy want pizza, Amy want” -in a girl robot voice

Ghosted by Fox @ 07/03/2008 10:26 AM EDT


This has been the best post in a while. Can we just turn this into the Congo Megaparty complete with reviews of the movie, toys, etc?

Ghosted by Drewza @ 07/03/2008 10:31 AM EDT


You’re not spoiling any more OZ for me, pal.

Ghosted by Whatever @ 07/03/2008 10:34 AM EDT


The Power Glove is one of those things people seem to remember fondly, yet I don’t know anyone who actually had one.

Ghosted by JLAJRC @ 07/03/2008 10:39 AM EDT


Since Adrian Adonis was mentioned, here’s a clip of the segment that started the Adonis Piper feud that lead to their WM 3 match.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=4VadzpZ72f0

Ghosted by JLAJRC @ 07/03/2008 10:47 AM EDT


The Power Glove is one of those things people seem to remember fondly, yet I don’t know anyone who actually had one.

Oh, kids had them. They just didn’t want you playing with theirs and discovering how badly they worked.

Ghosted by doho in the summer @ 07/03/2008 10:50 AM EDT


Sweet, check out this find!
Buy your solar shades online! Only $9.88 each brand new!
http://www.bttf.net/Solar_Shades_from_Back_to_the_Future_Part_II_p/solarshades-py.htm

Ghosted by Barry Harmon @ 07/03/2008 11:01 AM EDT


Matt, I love how you don’t take these naysayers seriously when a lesser blogmassa would. :) You know who your real fan base is, and that we all love ya no matter how often you update.

I have never seen Congo but it’s now on my must-see list of films…I love cheese ever so. And Tim Curry. And when shit gets blowed up. I really wish I had the dough for Netflix; there are SO many movies and shows I want to see. Siiigh.

Now, I must go have Pizza Hut and watch BTTF II; oh crap, I’m still at work. Dammit.

Ghosted by Nicole @ 07/03/2008 11:06 AM EDT


“Yes, according to ‘The Worst Witch,’ Tim Curry is fucking hot.”–Matt’s Review of “The Worst Witch” And now, whenever I see or hear a mention of Tim Curry, I’m picturing that psychedelic music sequence.

Ghosted by FyarlGirl @ 07/03/2008 11:32 AM EDT


JoshC, Yeah, there’ve actually been a lot of famous guest stars. So far we’ve seen Robocop, Samwise from LotR,
that short, bald prick from ER that got his arm cut off by the helicopter, only to later get killed by another helicopter (he was also in Robocop btw–the guy that got covered in toxic sludge and then splattered all over the windshield), the guy that played The Mummy in the Mummy movies was in it as the main terrorist in season 4, and Kumar!

Man, I have so many good memories attached to early Nintendo games. I remember accidently finding Super Mario 3 hidden away before Christmas. I wasn’t looking for it or anything. I was digging around in a closet looking for a pencil or something and found it there and go so excited I ran downstairs to thank my mom for getting it for me. I feel bad for doing that now cause I totally ruined the surprise. She knew that was the one thing I wanted more than anything that year. Man, I played the heck out of that game.

I remember the first time I played Contra was at my friend Brenn Watson’s house. His mom took us to the store to buy it cause we had heard so much about it. Someone’s older brother had written down THE CODE for 30 lives and when we got home, after trying and trying we finally figured it out and stayed up all night playing it. That’s still one of my favorite games of all time.

Ghosted by DJ D @ 07/03/2008 11:35 AM EDT


I had the pink and black BACK TO THE FUTURE glasses. I got them for free because the delivery boy forgot our 2 liter of PEPSI.

**CONGO SPOILERS**
CONGO is hilarious. It is kind of a “point of no return movie” in that I can see them laying it out, storyboarding, casting, making gorilla suits, filming, etc. After those untold $$$ were spent, they realized they had to have the gorillas tear people up while a VOLCANO GOES OFF! By the time it came to that, they had already gone this far; too late to turn back now.

**END SPOILERS**

I never had or used the POWER GLOVE :(

Finally, I agree with starwenn about comments being a double-edged sword. I know I have only posted one comment on YouTube and I got a “thumbs down” (regarding the GREMLINS 2 trailer). I don’t really care but it still hurts that I would get an unwarranted (IMO) negative. I know, I know, I am a Sally Sensitive.

Ghosted by The Manimal @ 07/03/2008 11:38 AM EDT


Manimal Don’t let the negative comments bug ya’. I love the negative comments because it’s my job to piss off people on the internet…well, that and manually masturbating caged animals for artificial insemenation.

Ghosted by DC @ 07/03/2008 11:42 AM EDT


Congo sounds kick ass, I’d be very interested to see it! I had to admit that I really didn’t like Jurassic Park, please don’t hate me.

The Wizard was on the other night here in Canada on SUN TV, I was very pissed off b/c I missed most of it. I haven’t seen it in years. Just thinking about Fred Savage now, remember Little Monsters? I have it on DVD, it’s been awhile, I may watch it tonight.

I never had Pizza Hut glasses but I had the ones from McDonald’s that had just a strip of neon colour on the top of the shades. I wore them while I took pictures from my neon McDonald’s camera.

Ghosted by IHAQ @ 07/03/2008 11:43 AM EDT


Hi,
I am the big boss of the area.
I give the orders. I will have you make me a big fish dinner then I will smash the plate and say I hate fish. I will then have you cook me a nice steak and you will be sooo sooo happy about the whole thing.

Thanks,

stinkbutt

Ghosted by stinkbutt @ 07/03/2008 11:47 AM EDT


The Power Glove is remembered fondly by absolutely nobody. It worked like complete shit! I had a friend with one.

Me: What did you get for your birthday?
Crestfallen Friend: The Power Glove
Me: OH MAN! IS IT AWESOME?
Crestfallen Friend: It works like crap.

Ghosted by Bookstore Ninja @ 07/03/2008 11:51 AM EDT


well, that and manually masturbating caged animals for artificial insemenation.

I don’t know if you’re serious or not but that came very close to being my job once.

Ghosted by doho in the summer @ 07/03/2008 11:51 AM EDT


If that would have been your job, you would instantly have been my new hero!

Ghosted by DC @ 07/03/2008 11:54 AM EDT


I sense a ‘Clerks’ fan here abouts…

Ghosted by flabslapper @ 07/03/2008 12:13 PM EDT


I’m not even supposed to be here today!

Ghosted by DC @ 07/03/2008 12:15 PM EDT


Clerks reference~

Ghosted by Neg @ 07/03/2008 12:17 PM EDT


Mr Kane was a man who got everything he wanted, and then lost it. Maybe Rosebud was something he couldn’t get or something he lost. Anyway, it wouldn’t have explained anything. I don’t think any word can explain a man’s life. No, I guess Rosebud is just a piece in a jigsaw puzzle, a missing piece.

No wait, that wasn’t Clerks. That wasn’t Clerks at all. I’m out of here.

Ghosted by doho in the summer @ 07/03/2008 12:20 PM EDT


Can we get the Amy action figure review still?

Ghosted by sfcaptainrob @ 07/03/2008 12:29 PM EDT


JoshC, I just looked up Jenny Lewis to see who you were talking about. Good show, old man! If she does end up being your future girlfriend, let me know and you guys can go out on a double date with me and Christina Ricci.

Ghosted by DJ D @ 07/03/2008 12:30 PM EDT


Matt, well you know I love Tim, and somehow I missed the boat on the action figures. Can you post a picture of the Tim Curry one? I also think Congo is a fun movie and was unfairly panned by critics. I think because they DID promote it as the next big action film based on a Michael Crichton novel…

But it’s a perfect summer movie with enough action and humor and a fun cast of characters. And let me tell you, Laura Linney is actually PROUD of that film. I met her briefly at the Broadway Cares flea market in 2005, and got her autograph and I told her I loved Congo and she cheered and said “YAAAY! Congo!! Thank you!!”

Also don’t know if you have the souvenir/movie tie-in book that has interviews, behind the scenes, stuff, etc. but she beams when talking about the film and how close friends she became with Tim and Dylan and Ernie. Ernie Hudson rocks too, every movie he’s in, even if it sucks HE is fun to watch. I even liked his brief part as a police officer in the jail scene of “Two of a Kind” with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.

Ghosted by Melissa Y @ 07/03/2008 12:39 PM EDT


Matt, I just posted the link to this blog on one of the Tim Curry fan sites I belong to. So if a bunch of pro-Tim posts come up from women, that’s who we are :) Your stuff is so funny, the Worst Witch review is still my favorite.

Ghosted by Melissa Y @ 07/03/2008 12:45 PM EDT


You know the thing I like about the Wizard: at the time, it WAS a 90 minute commercial.

But watching it now, it’s like a 90 minute tribute to an era in our lives long gone by. Back when the NES was king, and if you had one, you were golden. When you traded games with your best friend down the street. Or got up to beat the first three levels of Double Dragon II every morning before school.

Back then, before gaming was “mainstream,” being a Nintendo guy was like being in some kind of club.

I really miss those times. When I watch the Wizard, it’s like a tribute to them..

Ghosted by Cameron T. @ 07/03/2008 12:51 PM EDT


A bit of Congo trivia for you. The character Homolka that Tim Curry played in the movie wasn’t even in the book. The role was added just for the movie.

Ghosted by Saint @ 07/03/2008 1:00 PM EDT


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